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The Lift

The Lift

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Welcome to The Lift, the show about leadership, growth, and getting what we want. On The Lift, we pull up to see the bigger picture from accomplished leaders who know how to get things done in a rapidly changing world. Host Ben Brooks dives deep into a relevant leadership topic each episode and connects the dots to leave you with powerful distinctions that you can use as a leader.

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Episodes
  • The Great Debate: Chief of Staff vs. EA vs. COO with Keziah Wonstolen of Vannin Chief of Staff

    The Great Debate: Chief of Staff vs. EA vs. COO with Keziah Wonstolen of Vannin Chief of Staff
    Mar 10 2026
    In this episode of The Lift, Ben is joined by Keziah Wonstolen, founder and CEO of Vannin Chief of Staff. A former management consultant and Chief of Staff (CoS) herself, Keziah is passionate about transforming how modern leaders work through optimizing the role of the CoS. Key takeaways: Why so many CEOs feel like they’re “drowning” and how a Chief of Staff can give them back hours each weekThe real difference between a Chief of Staff, Executive Assistant, and COO (and when you actually need each role)Vannin’s three-part Chief of Staff framework: Align, Execute, Amplify — and how it works inside high-growth companiesThe three chief of staff archetypes (Operator, Strategist, Proxy) and how to match them to your stage and funding modelHow Chiefs of Staff can quantify their impact and avoid becoming a “catch-all” roleThe #1 skills gap Keziah sees in Chiefs of Staff and why financial and business acumen are non-negotiable for the roleWhen you’re a CEO or founder, “drowning” can start to feel like a permanent state of being. You’re responsible for strategy, culture, fundraising, customers, the board, and your team (and you’re still the person everyone pings when something goes sideways). In today’s episode, Keziah Wonstolen draws on her own experience as a management consultant and Chief of Staff at a global firm to break down what a great Chief of Staff actually does – and just as importantly, what they don’t do. She explains why the role has exploded in demand over the last five years, especially in a world of post-pandemic hybrid work, constant change, and AI reshaping every function.Vannin uses a simple but powerful framework for the Chief of Staff role: Align, Execute, Amplify. According to the framework, the best Chiefs of Staff start by aligning tightly to the CEO’s vision, then building the operating cadence and cross-functional projects that actually deliver on that strategy, and finally amplifying the CEO’s impact through sharper communication, stakeholder management, and better use of time.Ben and Keziah also get into one of the most common points of confusion: what’s the difference between a Chief of Staff, an Executive Assistant, and a Chief Operating Officer? Keziah lays it out clearly:Executive Assistants handle repeatable, transactional work (calendars, travel, logistics) and are essential leverage for any executiveChiefs of Staff own cross-functional, non-transactional projects, planning cycles, and change initiatives where no single function “owns” the workCOOs sit in the C-suite, own operational metrics and teams, and are often the next step for seasoned Chiefs of Staff in larger organizations.She also shares the three archetypes she sees most often:The Operator: a junior COO who builds operating cadences, OKR systems, and drives accountabilityThe Strategist: a thought partner who can translate board or investor expectations into messaging, plans, and decisionsThe Proxy: a highly trusted stand-in who can represent the CEO in key meetings and contextsBen and Keziah talk about why role clarity is the make-or-break factor and why vague job descriptions with phrases like “ninja,” “rockstar,” or “24/7 support” are red flags. Instead, Keziah walks through how she helps CEOs start with a brutally honest time audit: What should you be doing at this stage as CEO? What are you actually doing? And which gaps call for an EA, a Chief of Staff, a CFO…or even a therapist?For leaders who already have a Chief of Staff or EA, Keziah shares practical ways to get more value from those partnerships: regular one-on-ones, co-designing the “office of the CEO” rhythm, and being explicit about what success looks like quarter by quarter.And if you are a Chief of Staff, there’s plenty here for you, too. Keziah highlights the biggest skills gap she sees across Chiefs: financial and business acumen. She explains why being able to read a P&L, understand value‐creation plans, and speak the language of EBITDA, margins, and runway is essential if you want a real seat at the table and a long-term career beyond the CoS role.Whether you’re a founder thinking about hiring your first Chief of Staff, a CEO wondering if you’re using yours effectively, or a Chief of Staff looking to uplevel your own practice, this episode will help you see the role – and your own time – in a whole new way.Links: Keziah WonstolenVannin Chief of StaffWhy Chiefs of Staff Need an Effective FrameworkThe Lift is hosted by Ben Brooks. Find out more about Ben Brooks and his company, PILOT, here. The show is made by editaudio. Follow Ben on LinkedIn and Instagram.For even more fun, follow along on Ben’s adventures with his puppy, Jetson.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    41 mins
  • Using Community Leadership to Grow Business: How Sachin Shivaram Invests His Time Beyond the Office

    Using Community Leadership to Grow Business: How Sachin Shivaram Invests His Time Beyond the Office
    Mar 3 2026
    In this episode of The Lift, Ben is joined by Sachin Shivaram, the first non-family CEO of the nearly 110-year-old Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry. Sachin is also an adjunct faculty member at the Schneider School of Business at St. Norbert College and serves on the boards of half a dozen companies and organizations, including the Green Bay Packers.Key takeaways: Community leadership isn’t a distraction, it’s a growth strategy – serving on boards and civic committees provides strategic insight, policy influence, and access to fundingBoard service can directly benefit your company Democratizing engagement builds trust with employees. Think: Facebook groups instead of forcing them into “corporate” channelsTechnology + relationships = real-time leadership. Use calendars, communication tools, and short, focused check-ins aggressivelyChildcare is both a business and a moral issue; employers must play a role in better childcare accessOld-school rituals – weekly family dinners, long conversations, small-town community life – still matter What happens when a manufacturing CEO decides that his job doesn’t end at the factory gates? In today’s episode, Sachin and Ben dig into community leadership, board service, and childcare advocacy as tools to actively grow a business (rather than distract from it).Sachin runs a 100+ year-old, family-founded aluminum foundry in Wisconsin that pours molten metal into sand molds to create mission-critical parts for medical equipment, trucks, cookware, and more. It’s classic American manufacturing in a sector that’s been under pressure for decades, from globalization to talent shortages to policy whiplash. Yet instead of hunkering down and only focusing on on-time delivery and scrap rates, Sachin’s calendar is full of board meetings, economic development councils, university trustee roles, and even a directorship with the Green Bay Packers.So…why would a CEO in a turbulent industry say yes to more responsibility?According to Sachin, strategic board work actually makes him a better, more effective CEO. Sitting on the board of companies like Lodge Cast Iron, he sees different markets, capital structures, and approaches to strategy and risk. Those patterns feed directly back into his decision-making at Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry. In one example, he describes how seeing another company use the U.S. New Markets Tax Credit program helped him recognize that WAF was eligible, too, resulting in roughly 25% of a major capital project being offset through the program. That’s real money, and a powerful argument for why board service can be ROI-positive for your day job.We also get a behind-the-scenes look at how Sachin manages optics and bandwidth. He knows that to his board, his employees, and his customers, the perception of a distracted CEO could be a risk. His antidote? Radical transparency and relentless follow-through: Every morning at 8:05 am, he and his leadership team run a detailed standupEmployees can reach him directly via text or on plant-specific Facebook pages He continually shows up with specifics about defects, staffing, and shipments that prove he’s deep in the detailsThat same “meet people where they are” philosophy drives how he communicates with a politically diverse workforce. In a rare move for a CEO, Sachin openly shares who he votes for, writes politically biased opinion pieces, and posts them in employee Facebook groups where people comment freely, including the occasional “Sachin, don’t play ignorant.” Instead of hiding his beliefs or banning politics from the workplace, he leans on a simple principle: if you’re going to say something, say something. That candor helps build trust across very different political views while keeping the focus on how national policy actually hits the shop floor.Outside the plant, Sachin’s home life is intense but intentional. He and his wife (a McKinsey partner) are raising two boys while navigating demanding careers, and a very full calendar. The infrastructure that makes it possible includes aggressive use of shared calendars and old-school rituals like Friday night family dinners at their favorite Wisconsin supper club.One of the most powerful moments of the episode comes when Sachin talks about childcare and early childhood brain development; he is often invited to share his POV that childcare is a workforce issue – how employers need it so parents (especially mothers) can work. What really moves him here is the neuroscience behind this framing: the permanent impact of what happens from ages 0–5 on a child’s brain, and how inconsistent, low-quality care can shape their entire life. After hearing stories from his own employees about patchwork childcare arrangements, he became a vocal advocate for better systems and started offering stipends and structural support through the company.Throughout the episode, Ben and Sachin return to one big theme: being a great leader in your company ...
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    33 mins
  • Meditation for Busy Leaders: How Michael Miller Uses Vedic Practice to Reduce Stress and Gain Time

    Meditation for Busy Leaders: How Michael Miller Uses Vedic Practice to Reduce Stress and Gain Time
    Feb 24 2026
    This week on The Lift, Ben is joined by meditation expert and teacher Michael Miller, founder of New York Meditation Center and London Meditation Center (and the first person to teach Ben to meditate 15 years ago). Key takeaways: Why practicing real meditation over simply going for a run is more powerful for stress relief and anxiety managementThere are three main types of meditation, with Vedic meditation being ideal for busy, high-performing leadersHow a twice-daily 20-minute practice can improve sleep, reduce anxiety, and actually create more time in your dayWhy most meditation apps and monk-style techniques don’t stick for people with jobs, families, and real-world responsibilitiesHow meditation helps executives show up as more present, creative, and emotionally regulated leaders at work and at homeWhy becoming a “net giver” (not a “net taker”) starts with stabilizing your own nervous system firstThis week, Michael Miller unpacks a big claim: the right kind of meditation doesn’t just help leaders feel calmer – it can actually give them more time back in their day.When Ben met Michael, he was leaving a demanding corporate job and needed something that would help him manage anxiety, stay focused, and show up more powerfully for his next chapter. The practice Michael taught him – Vedic meditation – has been a daily anchor ever since.Michael starts by debunking a line most leaders have heard (or said) at some point: “Running is my meditation.” Yes, intense exercise can quiet the mind temporarily as your nervous system finally gets to complete its fight-or-flight loop and you get a brief sense of relief. But that’s not the same as accessing a deep, restorative state that rewires your baseline for stress, focus, and emotional regulation.From there, Michael breaks down the three main categories of meditation in clear, practical terms:Concentration/focused attention: Trying not to think, staring at a candle flame, forcing the mind to stay on one object. It “works,” but it’s hard work and often leaves people feeling like they “can’t meditate.”Open monitoring/mindfulness: Classic app-guided practices (watching the breath, feeling your feet on the floor, noticing thoughts like clouds in the sky). Helpful, but highly dependent on external guidance and often difficult to sustain in a stress-heavy life.Automatic self-transcendence (Vedic meditation): The technique Michael teaches. You use a personalized mantra that gently attracts the mind inward. The mantra becomes subtler, thoughts quiet down, and you naturally “transcend” thinking into a state of pure awareness. No forcing, no concentration.Vedic meditation, he explains, was designed for householders: people with jobs, families, and responsibilities, not monks living in caves. Instead of needing hours of practice or multiple 10-day retreats, this technique is done 20 minutes twice a day, eyes closed, anywhere you can sit. It’s meant to fit into a busy schedule and deliver a clear ROI on time and energy.Michael shares his own before-and-after story. While working at Variety magazine in a relentless, deadline-driven environment, he was constantly wired and anxious. After learning Vedic meditation, he noticed he was sleeping better, feeling less anxious, and thinking more clearly – all without changing jobs or moving to a monastery. The anxiety “vibration” that used to run in the background started to quiet down.Ben echoes this with his own experience as a CEO and executive coach. His morning meditation helps him start the day grounded and intentional. The afternoon or early evening meditation is often the difference between “I just need to go home and shut down” and actually enjoying a client dinner, a date, or a walk with his dog. Instead of reaching for extra alcohol or scrolling to numb out, he finds he has the capacity to be present.Michael also addresses why most meditation apps don’t stick. Research he cites shows that 95% of users stop using an app within a month, and that most people complete only a handful of sessions. It’s not that apps are bad; it’s that techniques designed for renunciates (or for short-term relaxation) don’t translate well into the lives of overstretched leaders trying to juggle real-world constraints. In contrast, people who learn Vedic meditation in person quickly see the benefits, which makes it much easier to keep going.The conversation then zooms out into leadership. Meditation isn’t just about feeling calmer for your own sake; it changes how you show up for others:You have more space between stimulus and response, so you’re less likely to snap, shut down, or overreactYou’re more present and creative, which makes you better at complex problem-solving and decision-making under pressureYou can be a more consistent and emotionally regulated leader for your team, your family, and your broader communityMichael frames it as a question of impact: In a stressed, ...
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    37 mins
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